Cooperate in Piety or Sin? Participation in the American Election

Note: this leaflet was distributed by Hizb ut-Tahrir America prior to the election.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمCooperate in Piety or Sin! Participation in the American Election

A few days from now is the American general election. Here we seize the opportunity to fulfill our responsibility and address you Muslims about the Sharia rule (Devine Rule) regarding participation in it.

إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلّهِ أَمَرَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ“Indeed legislation (ruling, judgment, command) is only for Allah; He has commanded that you shall not serve aught but Him; this is the right religion but most people do not know.” (TMQ 12:40)

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاء شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ“Or have they partners (of Allah) who have made lawful for them in religion that which Allah allowed not?” (TMQ 42:21)

To legislate or make rules other than Allah means to associate partners with Him. Allah describes the one who chooses and accepts the rules made by man to have associated partners with Him سبحانه وتعالى. On the other hand, Allah سبحانه وتعالى gives His law the superiority, and commands that it should be implemented to rule between people and solve their problems. He سبحانه وتعالى describes those who do not rule by His Sharia to be the disbelievers, oppressors or transgressors.

In addition, our Iman is not complete unless we seek judgment and ruling by that which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم has brought from Allah سبحانه وتعالى

فَلاَ وَرَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىَ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَجِدُواْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيمًا“But no! by your Lord! they do not believe (in reality) until they make you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and then do not find any straitness in their hearts as to what you have decided and submit with entire submission.” (TMQ 4:65)

La Ilaha Illa Allah means Worship, Legislation, Ruling, Obedience, Loyalty and friendship are only with Almighty Allah سبحانه وتعالى alone. No one worthy of worship except Him, no one worthy of obedience except Him, no one has the right to legislate except Him, no rules worthy of implementation except His Divine Rules, we’re only loyal to Him and no one is our friend except Him alone سبحانه وتعالى and the Believers. So what does voting on next Tuesday, November 4th really mean?

Electing and voting is giving the power of attorney to someone to do things on your behalf. It is a Halaal means in general. In this case, it is authorizing someone to legislate or rule by the Kufr rule on your behalf. It means to give someone the power to make laws instead of Allah, denying His سبحانه وتعالى sole right to make laws that manage our lives. Voting in this election means to empower someone to implement the kufr rules made by the faulty human beings.

By voluntarily voting for Kufr, in such Democratic/Secular system, we willingly choose and authorize humans to legislate and legalize evil (Munkar) and rule according to it. We authorize -willingly and happily- humans to implement a system that is known for its corruption in all aspects of life; political, economic, social, educational, healthcare …etc. Not only that, but we also -willingly- authorize and request them to protect and preserve this kufr system and this way of life!

Accordingly, based on the clear cut evidences from the Quran, participation in the general election on November 4th is a clear Haraam act, as it compromises the foundation of the Islamic Aqeedah.

O Muslims, in addition to this, we came to say something else. Muslims in the United States are being dared, duped, and ultimately deceived into adopting voting in the kufr U.S. secular democracy/capitalism by the enemies of Islam. Participation in elections will successfully contain the Islamic struggle within a prison of secularism rather than pursuing the liberation of humanity through the establishment and expansion of the Islamic State.

This is a satanic plan where elections are attempts to integrate Muslims. The enemies of Islam want to ensure that the Muslim “leaders” and organizations are encouraging us to vote, assimilate and acculturate into the mainstream, for reasons of control and counterrevolutionary tactics that the system implores to maintain itself.

O Muslims, although some of us may be mistakenly seeking to vote as a means of “helping” or “benefiting” the Muslims who live in the United States or elsewhere, the fact remains that a Haraam action brings no true and lasting benefits according to the Islamic criteria of Jannah and Jahannam. Voting for the man-made laws is clearly Haraam and contradictory to “politics” illustrated in the noble Sunnah of The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم.

Rather than wasting time getting Muslims to support non-Muslim Makkan leaders, like Abu Lahab or Abu Jahl, to gain some material “benefits”, The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم focused exclusively on removing the fundamental kufr system. Rather than choosing between “evil” or “more evil” political candidates like today’s democratic elections, or the “lesser of two evils”, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم chose the Guidance of Allah سبحانه وتعالى as the sole Source of success and benefit. He maintained his da’wah to remove and replace Quraysh leadership with the Islamic system no matter what the cost to himself or his Companions.

O Muslims, we must protect and strengthen our loyalties to each other as a Muslim Ummah that is “distinct” and “unique” from all the rest of mankind. Each Muslim must preserve his/her loyalty and alliance exclusively for Allah سبحانه وتعالى, His Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, and the Believers among the Muslims.

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ“And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends (allies) one of another.” (TMQ 9:71)

“And incline (or accept) not to those who do wrong, or the Fire will seize you; and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor shall you be helped.” (TMQ 11:113)

O Muslims, we must ask ourselves some tough questions about voting and other forms of participation in the upcoming U.S. elections:

1) How can a Muslim who claims to believe in Allah سبحانه وتعالى and follow His Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم abandon the noble Sunnah of The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, to support the corrupt secular Capitalism?

2) How can a Muslim choose a Congressman, Senator, President, or any other human being over Allah, disqualifying Him سبحانه وتعالى as the Sole Ruler and Legislator?

3) How can Muslims follow the Jews and Christians in funding and electing political candidates who have adopted full implementation and preservation of kufr systems as their “platform”?

4) How many more times will Muslims choose the “lesser of two evils” and continue producing the types of Clintons and Bushes who mercilessly bomb and brutalize their Brothers and Sisters overseas while accusing and imprisoning their Brothers and Sisters in the U.S.?

5) How much longer will the Muslims claim to “show the good of Islam” and “give dawah” by voting for the kufr system rather than conveying the noble Message of Islam according to the method of The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم?

O Muslims, we must refuse to legitimize these Haraam (forbidden) activities of supporting “evil” or “more evil” candidates to rule by kufr. Moreover, we must insist on saving ourselves and our society by shifting all of our attention, energy, loyalty, and money toward the struggle to make Islam supreme.

This can be done by following the Sunnah of The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to strengthen ourselves and our families with clarity, confidence, and conviction about protecting our Islamic identity, strengthening Muslim Brotherhood/Sisterhood, teaching our children and family about our way of life, supporting Islamic activism, joining the “political” work to resume the Islamic way of life and all the other blessed actions ordered and rewarded by Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

O Muslims, let us remember that we are the Da’wah carriers responsible to deliver this message to the people. We can only do this by following the method of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, by engaging in the intellectual and political struggle that exposes the Kufr systems and presents Islam as the only alternative and sound way of life. Let us work to revive the Islamic State as it is the only practical way to establish justice and save humanity from the filth of Democracy and Capitalism.

O Muslims, the only way we can guarantee our true benefits, in this life and the next one, is by adhering to the divine Sharia rules, as it will be the criterion on the Day of Judgment. Nothing and no one could harm us except by the will and decree of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

We will continue to engage in this Da’wah work for the resumption of the Islamic way of life in this “belly of the beast” of western Democracy. We invite you all Muslims to join this work so we may be successful in this life and the hereafter.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُم لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ“O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life.” (TMQ 8:24)